6 Gourmet Hot Dogs in Houston

Lowbrow
Why settle for a plain old dog with mustard and ketchup when Lowbrow will serve you a Dirty Dog blanketed with mac 'n' cheese, green onions and french fries, and topped with Flaming Hot Cheetos crumble.

Price: $5Insider Tip: BYOV (bring your own vinyl to play on the record player).

Good Dog
The Heights-area brick-and-mortar version of the popular food truck serves more than 10 styles of dogs, including our favorite, the Picnic (topped with beef and chorizo chili, Short Bus mustard, potato salad, a sprinkling of parsley and a dill pickle slice).

Price: $7Insider Tip: Yes, there's a line on the weekends, but for good reason. Get there before 11:30 AM to avoid the wait.

Happy Fatz
The list of specialty dogs at this restaurant, located in a quaint house in the Heights, includes a build-your-own option (choose your bun, sauce and three toppings). Or try specialties like Clucker, loaded with brunch fare like hash browns, bacon bits, grilled onions and a fried egg.

JCI Grill
The local chain, open since 1923, is justifiably famous for one of the best hot dogs in town, plus five gourmet versions. Our favorite is the El Bolillo, an all-beef wiener with spicy chorizo, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema fresca, queso fresco and fresh grilled jalapeños in a bolillo roll.

Price: $4.99Insider Tip: Get the chili-cheese tots and wash it all down with a frozen lemonade.

Los Perros Food Truck
The three food trucks serve Colombian-style dogs, like the sweet and savory El Perro Colombiano. It comes with queso fresco, crunchy potato chips, salsa, honey and a trio of sauces (pineapple, tarter and raspberry) on top of a toasted bun with a quail-egg garnish.

Price: $4Insider Tip: Ask for more or less salsa to adjust the heat level.